Born Rakaa Taylor in Los Angeles, California, Rakaa (aka Iriscience) is a hip-hop MC, and one third of the renown west-coast underground crew Dilated Peoples. In 2010 he released his first solo album, Crown of Thorns. Aside from rapping, Rakaa's passions run deep: stretching from visual arts to training Gracie Jiu-Jitsu to traveling the world as a highly sought after Host and MC, all in his spare time. He also heads the Expansion Team Soundsystem, a collaborative effort between himself and DJ Babu.